


The Scarecrow

by strawberrykait



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Halloween, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-30
Updated: 2012-10-30
Packaged: 2017-11-17 09:35:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/550151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrykait/pseuds/strawberrykait
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione Granger is chased by a scarecrow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Scarecrow

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: In its use of intellectual property and characters belonging to JK Rowling, Warner Bros, Bloomsbury Publishing, et cetera, this work of fiction is intended to be transformative commentary on the original. No profit is being made from this work.  
> Beta(s): McCargi

The chilling autumn winds picked up, swirling leaves around her legs as Hermione traipsed past Hagrid’s pumpkin patch. The cawing of crows caught her attention. An ineffective scarecrow loomed over her, its arms draped with the black birds. Hermione almost laughed, but she felt sorry for the impotent thing. With a sigh, she turned away. 

Dry leaves crunched beneath her shoes as she slowly climbed, the sound seeming to echo behind her. Hermione paused to listen. The hairs on her arms stood up before she slowly looked behind her. 

The crows had launched into the darkening sky, a swirling black mass. There between her and the birds stood the scarecrow, his Jack-o-lantern head ablaze with hellish light as he flung himself away from his post.

At first, she laughed, but then all humour vanished as the wickedly animated Scarecrow charged up the hill, his craggy stick arms extending towards her. Hermione choked on a scream as she turned to run.

Crackling leaves from within his mismatched clothes grew louder as he charged, his longer limbs making it impossible for Hermione to feasibly outrun him, despite her best efforts. The Forbidden Forest loomed ahead and she stopped dead in her tracks, eyeing the darkness within. Twig-like fingers entwined in her curly hair, yanking her off her feet, several strands ripping from her scalp. Hermione screamed in pain and fear as she scrabbled against the Scarecrow’s unnatural strength. His horrendous face was inches away, the jagged mouth gaping as he screeched, his eyes as black as crow wings. 

Hermione’s senses returned as she fumbled for her wand. “Incendio!”

The Scarecrow erupted in flames, the leaves and clothes peeling back to expose the wooden post of his torso, his branch-arms lighting up, crackling as he howled. Hermione screamed back into the charred maw, desperately fighting to free herself from his terrible grip. 

“Confringo!”

The fiery Scarecrow exploded, flinging stringy pumpkin remains everywhere. Hermione wiped at her face with revulsion. 

Someone was laughing. Out from the trees strolled Draco Malfoy. 

“Malfoy?” Hermione growled, jumping to her feet, smouldering leaves sticking out of her hair. “Ooh, I could murder you for this! You complete jerk!”

“The look on your face…” Draco wheezed, and then shouted as she pummelled his head. “Ow! Stop it! Was just a trick! Quit it, Granger! You’re going to get -” 

Hermione swiped her hand up through Malfoy’s slicked-back hair, turning the white locks a slimy orange. Errant pumpkin seeds dripped down onto his robes as she smiled maliciously. 

“Oh, you want to play dirty, Granger?”

“No, that was retribution. You deserved it –Oh!” she shrieked as he chased her. The pair slipped dangerously in the muck while taking turns evading and dispensing more vengeance, until, unfortunately, Hermione was the first to give in. Panting and a bit sweaty from the exertion and fear, Hermione flung herself down into crackling leaves. 

Malfoy sat beside her, just as filthy as she was, smiling, as well.

“Happy Halloween, lov- ow!” He cringed when she punched his thigh. “Hey, stop that! We were even!”

“We will _never_ be ‘even’, Malfoy. Just you wait… I’m going to get you back -”

“What the hell do you call all of this?”

“Instant gratification,” she said airily before continuing with an evil grin, her fingers curling in wicked delight as she planned her revenge. “You’ll never know when I’ll strike! Perhaps you’ll be sitting in the Great Hall, and your pudding will gargle up and…”

Malfoy flopped down with an exasperated sigh. He knew it was a bad idea to play a Halloween prank on Granger.


End file.
